Clueless
by unfoldingbliss
Summary: Akon blinked, taken aback at her formal behavior. It was kind of like his, actually [Akon/Nanao one-shots. Usually as children].
1. Clueless

It was a standard procedure, but Akon couldn't help but be a little excited. The files stacked neatly in the crook of his arm rubbed against his overlarge lab coat, each still in the alphabetical order his captain had demanded. He wasn't too sure why all these transfers of funds were being requested or what they were to be used for, but he didn't mind the mystery all that much.

Besides, this was his first time outside of the twelfth division barracks in a _long_ time. He was more thankful than curious about the papers wedged between his underarm.

His feet eventually led him to the front gates of the eighth division, the sturdy bamboo doors and painted cherry blossoms along the walls a distinct departure from the steel entrance of his own division. The place even had the faint scent of a flower Akon couldn't necessarily pinpoint, considering most of the flowers he'd seen before were from pictures in textbooks.

A guard from the nearby watchtower peeked his head out at the approaching kid officer, his stare quite uninterested. That was strange - most people he'd met outside of his division usually gaped and soon inquired how such a young boy could be in the Gotei Thirteen. And though a small bit of pride would swell inside his stomach, Akon didn't believe such questions were worth the time to reply to, especially if an experiment was under way.

But this guard was different, the way he stood up and walked down the steps to the entrance doors to greet Akon. It almost seemed that such a young soul reaper appeared normal to him, the way he casually waved hello and asked just what he was there for.

"I am Akon from the twelfth division. I'm here to drop off some documents to Captain Kyoraku," Akon explained, taking the files out from underneath his arm and pinning them close to his chest, "They are confidential and need to be addressed immediately. Could you take me to his office?"

"Huh, well, I need to stay on guard duty, but I do know someone who might be interested in escorting you," the man smiled, causing Akon's brow to crease in response. Odd, just who could this someone be? Had he met them before? Surely he would remember if he had met anyone of prominence from this division.

"Do I know them?" Akon asked, looking around the courtyard for any sign of a familiar face.

"Probably not, but you definitely will soon!" the man replied with the same smile, patting the young boy on the head, "Hey, Nanao! I got a job for you!"

Soon, the pitter-patter of sandaled footsteps against wooden floors could be heard approaching, and Akon turned his gaze to the right, startled at what appeared before him.

A small girl no older than him jogged towards them, her large, round glasses almost falling off her face with every step. Her short, dark hair whipped against her cheeks and neck, but she seemed to pay the minor nuisance no mind. A large book was folded up in her arms and Akon was almost amazed at her grace and poise despite the situation.

"Yes, Mr. Kobayashi?" the girl took a quick glance at Akon before turning all of her attention at her superior.

The man laughed at her behavior, ruffling up the top of her head as he answered her, "No need to be so formal, little Nanao! You're just going to show this young man to the Captain's office, okay?"

"Alright," she nodded her head and turned back to Akon, bowing, "My name is Nanao Ise. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Akon blinked, taken aback at her formal behavior. It was kind of like his, actually. "I'm Akon from the twelfth division. Nice to meet you, too."

"Run along, you two," Kobayashi said as he made his way back up the watchtower, "Captain is waiting, after all."

Nanao nodded again and took the initiative, waving Akon over to follow her, "This way, please."

They were silent for the first minute or so, but it didn't mean that their walk was a quiet one. A flurry of whispers and giggles could be heard from the rooms and the yard alike as they traveled to the center of the barracks. Akon couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about.

"Is everyone always so happy here?" he asked, picking up his pace so he walked side by side with her.

"Yes, actually," she answered, her stare straight on the path ahead, "But that's because our Captain Kyoraku is a pretty happy man. He's not like some other captains. Like yours: I hear he can pretty scary."

"He's not so bad once you get to know him," Akon insisted, though he knew a lot of people in his own division would testify to the opposite. He decided to change the subject, eyes wandering over the title of the book she clutched against her chest, "That's a good book, by the way."

Her eyes widened at the statement and her shoulders seemed to tense in excitement, "You've read _The Wild Geese_ before? I thought Lieutenant Yadomaru had been the only one besides me…"

"My captain always ask for the officers assigned to the mortal world to pick up a new book for the division library," Akon explained, "That one came in a few months ago. It was a nice change from all the lab reports I have to read."

Nanao chuckled at that, hugging the book just a bit tighter, "Wow, you have your own division library? I wish we did. Everyone here prefers games or drinking over a good book."

"Lieutenant Sarugaki would have fit in just fine, then," Akon shrugged, "She was always yelling and playing pranks when she should've been working…"

His voice soon trailed, noticing the somber glint shadowing across Nanao's small face. Oh, that's right. Her lieutenant had also been…

"Here's his office," Nanao said, her voice almost callous, "I'm sure someone else can help you out if you need assistance."

"Um…" Akon stretched out his free arm, unsure of how to go about comforting her. While he had been sad for a time, no one in the twelfth division had really mourned the former lieutenant or their traitorous captain. She really had been a pain most of the time, but…it seemed like his relationship with Lieutenant Sarugaki had differed from the one Nanao had shared with hers, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean - "

"Ah! Lovely little Nanao!" The door of the captain's office swung open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing an elaborate red kimono. Huh, and Akon had always figured his captain was the most theatrical, "I thought that was your voice outside my door. What brings you here today, sweet child?"

Nanao directed her gaze to the floor, a sudden wave of red swarming over her cheeks, "I - I was escorting this officer to -"

"And who do we have here?" Captain Kyoraku interrupted her, his eyes making their way over to Akon, "Why, you seem just as old as little Nanao. And by the look at that lab coat, you gotta be from the twelfth division. Can't believe someone so young could be so smart! But then again, Nanao is ten times smarter than I'll ever be….are those paper for me?"

Akon stood dumbfounded for a moment, mouth slightly agape. This guy was less serious than any other soul reaper he had encountered, seated or not. How could a captain be so…relaxed? Especially when he still had a lieutenant to replace? "Yes, sir. They are."

"Would you hand them over please? Mayuri will have a fit if I don't get them to him by tomorrow," Captain Kyoraku smiled down at him, though his stare was busy with the flustered young girl to his side, "What's the matter over there, lovely miss Nanao? Is this boy too cute for you to handle?

Nanao sputtered, her book almost falling out of her arms while Akon's eyes bulged at the words, the files suddenly feeling very heavy in his hands. No one had ever called him _that_ before, and he certainly never thought someone of such power could blatantly state it.

"It's not that, Captain!" Nanao denied, pushing the rim of her glasses as close to her face as possible, "I - I'm sorry for my behavior! I will be much more subdued in the future, I promise!"

"Aww, c'mon now, Nanao, where would be the fun in that?" Captain Kyoraku teased, easily taking the files from Akon's laxed grasp, "And how do you even know the word 'subdue?' Do you know what that means, kid?"

"Uh…yes, sir. I do," Akon replied, unsure if the question had been rhetorical or not.

"Just as I suspected," the Captain let out an exaggerated sigh, flipping through the confidential papers with a careless thumb, "Say…I got an idea. Akon, I assume you like to read?"

The boy nodded, disregarding the fact that he had yet to tell the captain his name.

"Good, good," he replied, throwing the papers to his desk and beckoning the two children to come closer, "Then how about you and Nanao make this trip a bit of a sleepover? It's about to get dark pretty soon, and I would feel better knowing you were here instead of getting lost near a bar."

"But won't my captain be expecting me back?" Akon asked, a little surprised he was even questioning the wisdom of the captain. Eccentric and relaxed, yes, but there was a reason he held one of the highest honors in all of Sereitei.

"Probably," he admitted sheepishly, "But don't worry about it! I'll take you back in the morning and explain the situation. Now, you two run along and go read somewhere! But be sure to be back in a few hours, or else all the food from the cafeteria might be gone."

While Akon struggled to comprehend the situation he was in, the Captain turned his attention to the other kid officer, "Nanao, I'm sure you'll take care of our honored guest?"

The red in her cheeks had noticeably lessened, but she was still rigid in her response, letting out a small hum of understanding before she latched on to one of Akon's arms and tugged him down the hall.

"I'll come find you two lovebirds in the morning!" Captain Kyoraku trilled from behind them, "Have fun!"

Nanao growled at the words, but still said nothing, biting her tongue as her neck flushed.

"Where are we going?" Akon asked, his own cheeks starting to redden at the close contact. It hadn't been so obvious before, but beneath her glasses were some of the lightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. And he would know, given all those experiments…

"Captain ordered us to go read," Nanao said, her voice barely above a whisper, "So that's what we're going to do."

"…Okay," Akon replied, "…I'm sorry for what I said earlier, by the way. I didn't mean - "

"It's okay," she cut him off, her tone becoming even, "Your lieutenant was different than mine. You couldn't have known."

They were silent for a few minutes after that, the whispers and giggles from the other officers in the barracks surrounding them once more.

"Besides," Nanao closed her eyes, gracing him with a pretty smile, "cute boys are usually clueless anyway."

And for the first time since his acceptance into the twelfth division, Akon was truly at a loss for words.


	2. Bliss

Akon's alive, so I celebrated.

Warnings: Implied shenanigans (you know the ones).

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He could feel her approach, her _reiatsu_ giving off just enough to alert him of her arrival. Like it mattered, though. Even if only the slightest sliver of energy had been emitted, Akon would know who sought him out. He always did. It occasionally unnerved her, how quickly he could pick up on it. For the most part, however, she thought it romantic and usually told him so.

"You didn't have to come," he didn't turn around as she closed the door of his private quarters, opting to continue wrapping the bandages around his waist. Perhaps she couldn't see the purpled bruises and stitches in the dim candlelight.

"I know," was her curt reply, soft footsteps making their way over to the water basin near his bedside, "But I wanted to."

"You shouldn't have," the corner of his eyes caught the hem of her uniform, and he willed himself to keep his focus on the task at hand. His resolve would undoubtedly shatter the moment he caught sight of her face, "I heard the news. Congratulations."

"This isn't time to celebrate," her voice diminished to a murmur, a weary concern laced around its edges. Well, so much for dim candles, "Look at you."

"I prefer not to," he said, "I was already ugly before – only now, I can actually feel it."

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling yourself that?" she sighed, Akon imagining her pretty lips draw into a pout. Over one hundred years and she had yet to outgrow that particular habit, "Besides, everyone should be thanking you rather than congratulating me. If you hadn't - "

"Don't," he interrupted her, ripping off another piece of wrap and fastening it around his wrist, "I was only doing my job. It is our responsibility to protect Soul Society…and it must be done at all costs."

"…Yes," she agreed, and he shivered at the close proximity of her voice. Fingertips ghosted across his shoulders, a soft cheek sinking into the crook of his spine, "I know. It wouldn't have made it easier to accept, had you…"

He could feel her bite her lip at the loss of words, something that hadn't happened in a while. Or at least, since he had last seen her. Even before this whole fiasco, their time with another had been short and infrequent. Akon's constant experiments, her countless stacks of paperwork. This – whatever they had – had been much easier to upkeep when they were both children, when neither had a title to uphold or wars to wage.

"I didn't though," he replied, his voice softer than he would have liked. He was known for being precise and strict, with hints of sarcasm treading in and out. She was known for about the same, though she could be a bit more lethal in her demands. Yet, when it came to her, he couldn't help but let that hard shell crumble. Thoughts of Quincies, of Captain Kurotsuchi's latest project, and his near-death experiment vanished. Instead, all he knew. – all he _could _know – were the arms slowly embracing his bruised and bandaged skin and the lips feathering across his shoulder blades, "I'm still here, Nanao."

"You are," she willed him to turn around, her hand cupping his jaw while her thumb brushed against his lips, "And I couldn't be any more relieved."

She looked like death, blue eyes sunken in and hair disheveled, clinging to the sweat on her neck and shoulder. Akon figured she had used _shunpo_ to get to his quarters – but how many times? How much energy had she truly expelled?

"When's the last time you've slept?" he asked with her thumb still against his lips, leaning into the faint touch. He really shouldn't be indulging in her, when there was so much to do and he had days upon days of physical therapy ahead, "You shouldn't have come. You look like you're going to fall over at any given moment."

"I had to see you," she admitted, her gaze flickering up and down his battered chest and arms, "I had to know you were okay – and now I know you're not."

"And neither are you," he replied, taking another shaky breath as she drew closer, the mere contact shooting unpleasant jolts into his sore muscles. Had it been anyway else, he would have batted them away, "You need to rest."

"And so do you," she whispered, tipping herself forward and capturing his mouth with her own. Despite himself, he shuddered, a rush of adrenaline swarming into his veins. His stiff arms moved to the small of her back, his fingers kneading into the soft flesh underneath her uniform. What he would give to feel it bare…

He broke away for a brief moment, pressing his bandaged forehead against hers, "You don't have to stay. In fact, you shouldn't. We – "

But he was broken off by another kiss, this one deeper and more urgent than the first. She glided her tongue across his upper lip, moaning softly into him. He didn't even try to resist as she led him onto the tatami mat, laying him down as her legs straddled his hips. A groan escaped him as she pushed herself down onto his crotch, and he couldn't tell if it had been out of pain or pleasure.

She lifted her lips off of his, her stare boring into him, "I know I don't and I know I shouldn't. But I want this."

_'I need this,_' was what she really wanted to say. Was what he knew she meant, after all this time.

"I want this too," he finally admitted, his abrupt arousal overpowering the sharp aches and dull sores throughout the whole of his body, "I want _you_, Nanao."

A smirk flashed across her face for a moment or two, her mission now a success. But it was gone by the time she swooped in for another heated kiss, loosening the ties of her sash and kicking off her sandals. He reacted in kind, ignoring all the throbs of pain that bounced off his skin. No amount of agony could pull him away from her, not when she so willingly confessed how much she desired him. Perhaps it wasn't always with words, but her lips and legs and fingers were always enough for a rigid soul like his.

They were quiet in their passion, with fingers digging into flesh and sheets, holds as tight as they could possibly be. They didn't need to scream to know how the other felt, as they had discovered years ago. As long as she was there, feeling as he felt, he was content. It was what brought him over the edge that night: watching her on top of him, naked flesh gleaming in the pale moonlight, open-mouthed and barely breathing, approaching her limit. He shot up and clung to her, both pain and ecstasy doubling as he climaxed. She came soon after, following him down to the mat and covering them both with an assortment of blankets.

"I won't leave until you wake up," she assured him, curling her bare body into his, draping his limp arms over her waist, "And you can't make me."

"I know," he replied, his mind already dozing off into a dreamless sleep. He kissed the back of her neck before succumbing to his weariness, doing his best to make a memory of the way she felt in his embrace. They would not have a night like this again until the war was over. He was sure of it.

They were leaders, after all. And they would have to lead if they wanted to survive; if they wanted another chance at this fleeting bliss of warm skin and soothing nights.


End file.
